Burglar proof safety lock with cams that block the bolt and electric alarm devices



Jan. 17, 1967 7 LOMBARDl 3,299,229 BURGLAR PROOF SAFETY LOCK WITH CAMSTHAT BLOCK THE BOLT AND ELECTRIC ALARM DEVICES Filed March 12, 1964INVENTOR CLAUDIO LOMBARDI GLJMJ 5 ATTORNEYS United States Patent Ofiice3,299,229 BURGLAR PRooF SAFETY LocK WITH CAMS THAT BLOCK THE BOLT ANDELECTRIC ALARM DEVICES Claudio Lombardi, Via Ciceotti 11, Rome, ItalyFiled Mar. 12, 1964, Ser. No. 351,349 8 Claims. (Cl. 200-44) Lockscurrently in use lend themselves to being opened with false keys or byother means, including the opening of the door by taking it off itshinges. The object of this invention is to prevent burglary not only bymeans of false keys but also through the forcing of the door. Thesystem, as described below, can be applied to any type of lock in usetoday. The lock constituting the subject of the present invention isdifferent from currently used locks in that, on the outside of the door,in addition to the usual external plate where the key is inserted, thereis a numbered, turning dial in the center of which the plate is located.Setting the dial at (zero) and turning the key, the bolt is made toslide and the lock closes normally, but subsequently setting the dial onone or more numbers and turning the key for each figure which has beencomposed a block of the knife lever is effected and consequently of thebolt through cams located above the knife lever which are made to rotateby a rod attached to the numbered dial. The device is also equipped withthree electric contacts so that, in the event of efforts to open thedoor, even with the original key, without having reformed the numbersset when closing, or taking the door off its hinges, not only does thelock remain closed but it also sets oif alarm signals (bells, sirens,etc.) since, when the numbers are wrong, the cam turning in the reversesense, closes the circuit. In the event that the door is forced, anothercontact switch starts off the alarm system.

In the event that the door or the lock have been tampered with, afterreforming the numbers set when closing, the cams return automatically tothe normal position, freeing the bolt and making the alarm system stop.

This apparatus could be completed, in addition to the alarm device inthe janitors quarters and linked to all the tenants doors, by a smallradio transmitter with a wave length connected to the nearest policestation, so that in the event of attempted burglary a number would lightup on a board located in the police station. It is understood that theboard in question would have as many numbers as there were streets underthe jurisdiction of the police precinct and each number would correspondto a given street.

In the annexed drawings the component parts of the safety lock accordingto the invention are illustrated by 7 way of example:

FIG. 1 shows the entire lock without the cover. It shows the arrangementof the cams 11 placed above the fin 4 of the knife lever 3 and theposition of the two platinum plated points 12 of the alarm switch which,when the lock is open interrupts the entry of the current into the lock.

FIG. 2 shows the lock seen from its lower part; it shows the position ofthe gear 5 placed below the knife lever 3 and the profile of the catchthat controls the contact 13.

FIG. 3 shows the cams in section.

FIG. 4 is a view in section of the lock coupled to the external platewith the numbered turning dial 9; the rod 8 which operates inside thelock has a rotary and longitudinal movement and it has anotherarticulated section which only moves longitudinally and outside the lockand ends with a pin 10, which being connected to the numbered turningdial is pushed by it upwards or downwards while the rotary movement ofthe section inside of the 3,299,229 Patented Jan. 17, 1967 lock isstarted by the tongue coming out of the external plate where the key isinserted.

FIG. 5 shows the numbered turning dial seen from the front.

Naturally the shape and the constructive details can be varied accordingto the requirements for practical application and still be covered bythe claims of this invention.

Description The lock of the present invention may have different shapesand sizes. It consists of a metal plate box 1, a sliding bolt 2, a knifelever 3 the upper part of which is bent angularly. At that portion ofthe lever two pins 15 and 16 are fixed. The pin 15 serves as a springguide, to press a spring 26 which makes the knife lever adhere to theframe of the bolt and the second pin 16 to block the bolt at every turnof the key. On the same plane on the side opposite the pin 15 there is afin 4 as deep as the box, forming a T with the knife lever. The lowerpart of the knife lever is profiled so that the key, turning in thelock, causes the rotation of an axle fixed on the gear 5; the axle isprovided with a pivot and a cam 17 so that while the cam raises theknife lever, the pivot, entering into the openings on the lower side ofthe bolt, makes it slide.

The movement is transmitted to the gear 5, through an intermediate gear6, by another little gear wheel 7 which is located above in the center,above the frame of the knife lever 3 and on a plane below it; this iscontrolled by a rod 8 connected to the external key plate and thenumbered turning dial 9 and in the center of the gear wheel 7 a guidepin is fixed on which slides the rod 8. On the plane of theaforementioned gear wheel there are two pins with which the two catchesof the rod 8 engage. The rod 8 which runs over the said pin is boredalong the entire section that operates inside the lock; in the boredaperture is lodged a spring 18 which forces the rod towards the cover ofthe lock. At one of the ends of the rod are two catches 19 which, whenthe rod is pushed down by the numbered dial 9 engages with the two pins20 located in the plane of the gear wheel 7. At the point where it comesout of the box, the section that is not bored, there is a rectangularslot which engages the tongue that comes out of the key plate. In theexternal part of the slot on the same height there is a groove whichengages the articulated further part of the rod 8. Therefore the sectionof the rod in the inside of the lock has a rotary movement imparted toit by the turning of the key and a longitudinal movement from thenumbered dial 9. The continuation of the rod, being articulated, movesonly in a longitudinal direction controlled by the dial 9 through a pin10. The pin is lodged in, and guided by a slot in the external plate.

The numbered dial 9 is shaped like a mushroom the stern of which thepart which is built into the door has a helicoidal end where the pin 10is fixed on the rod 8 so that when the numbered dial is turned, the rod8 is caused to slide. When setting the dial on 0 (zero), the catches 19of the rod are fixed between the two pins 20 located in the plane of thegear wheel 7 and the key in turning makes the wheel turn and through theintermediary gear, transmits the movement to the gear 5 which makes thecam 17 turn and the pin fixed on the axle of the wheel and while the camraises the knife lever, the pin or pivot causes the bolt to slide,opening or closing the lock. Setting the numbered dial on any of thenumbers, and groups of several figures can be formed, the rod 8 is in aposition in which its catches 19 coincide with the cams 11 correspondingto the number formed, so that when the key is turned the catches 19cause the rotation of thevcam which is 10- cated on the upper part ofthe fin 4 blocking any movement on the part of the knife lever. The cams11 shaped like a disk cut a little below the middle with a hole in thecenter and two teeth on the part facing the rod 8 turn on a fixed pinsituated above the side of the gear wheel 7 above the frame of the knifelever; on the other side, a metal band 21 is pivoted on a small pin; theheight of the band is equal to that of the cams placed one above theother against which one side of the band is kept in contact by a spring22. On the other side the band in question has a platinum plated point,thus forming the switch 12. In the normal position the contacts aredisconnected. When attempts are made to open the lock with its keywithout having reformed the numbers set .at the moment of closing, thecams 11 turn in the opposite direction (corresponding to the erroneousnumbers, or if no number has been formed) and, making the band turn,bring the two points into contact thus starting off the alarm system,still without freeing the knife lever and opening the lock. In order tomake the bolt slide (opening the lock) the numbers set when closing mustbe reformed and then the dial moved to zero; then the cams returnautomatically to the normal position, even if the lock has been tamperedwith; another switch is formed by a catch 13 which may have differentshapes. The one illustrated is an iron band with an obliquely cutsection projectingfrom the lock while the section running inside thelock has a platinum plated point so that when the door is open and thecatch is pushed forward by a spring, it contacts another platinum platedpoint of a switch 23- fixed on the casing or box of the lock, closingthe circuit and starting off the alarm system only if the door is openedby abnormal means and the lock is in the closed position. With the lockopen, i.e. with the bolt fully drawn back, the switch 23 althoughkeeping the circuit closed, does not set off the alarm system, providedthat the door is opened normally with the key, since a third switchlocated on the inside of the lock box or casing, under the bolt on theopposite side from the catch 13 is formed by a fixed platinum platedpoint 24 and a spring does not allow the current to enter the circuit ofthe lock since a pin 25 located on the frame below the bolt separatesthe two points when the bolt is completely pulled back; advancing thebolt for closing, the points come into contact connecting the electriccurrent in the circuit.

Electric circuit One of the Wires from the intake tap or socket connectswith the breaker point of the switch 14 continuing over the fixed oneand then on to the switch 13 and 12. The outlet wire, starting fromcontact 12 and passing over 13 finally connects with the alarm system.

What I claim is:

1. A safety lock, comprising a case, a bolt slidable in said case, amovable mushroom-shaped dial having a stem portion extending into saidcase and an outer indicia-carrying portion, a key plate enclosed by saidouter portion, a knife lever having a bent portion extending adjacentsaid bolt and adapted to engage said bolt, a plurality of earns, thenumber of said cams corresponding to that of said indicia, electricswitches actuated by said cams, and means connected with said key platefor actuating said knife lever and for actuating said cams.

2. A safety lock in accordance with claim 1 for use with a door frame,comprising a catch slidably mounted in said case and having an outerinclined surface adapted to engage the door frame and cause an inwardmovement of the catch, a spring engaging said catch and tending to moveit outwardly, a contact carried by said catch, ano h r on c rried by sid c se, the fir -m ntioned contact being adapted to engage thesecond-mentioned contact when said catch is moved outwardly, said twocontacts being connected with said electric alarm devices.

3. A safety lock in accordance with claim 1 for use with a door frame,comprising a catch slidably mounted in said case and having an outerinclined surface adapted to engage the door frame and cause an inwardmovement of the catch, a spring engaging said catch and tending to moveit outwardly, a contact carried by said catch, another contact carriedby said case, the firstmentioned contact being adapted to engage thesecondmentioned contact when said catch is moved outwardly, said twocontacts being connected with said electric alarm devices, a switchlocated within said case and operatively connected with said twocontacts, said switch having a fixed contact and a resilient contactadapted to engage the last-mentioned fixed contact, and a pin carried bysaid bolt and adapted to engage the lastmentioned resilient contact tomove it away from the last-mentioned fixed contact.

4. A safety lock in accordance with claim 1, comprising a pin connectedto the bent portion of said knife lever, a spring connected to said pinand pressing said knife lever against said bolt, another pin connectedto said knife lever and engaging said bolt, and a fin located Withinsaid case and engaging said knife lever, said knife lever beingprofiled, said means comprising an axle, a cam carried by said axle andadapted to engage said knife lever, a gear fixed upon said axle, anintermediate gear wheel meshing with said gear, another gear -wheelmeshing with said intermediate gear wheel and means adapted to connectsaid key plate with the last-mentioned gear wheel.

5. A safety lock in accordance with claim 4, wherein the last-mentionedcam is adapted to raise said knife lever, the first-mentioned meansfurther comprising a pin carried by said axle and adapted to engage anyone of a plurality of holes formed in said bolt to cause a sliding ofsaid bolt.

6. A safety lock in accordance with claim 4, wherein the last-mentionedmeans further comprise two pins car- "ried by the last-mentioned gearwheel, a rotary rod,

means connecting said rod with said key plate, catches carried by saidrod and adapted to engage the lastmentioned pins, and an axle supportingsaid rod for longitudinal movement thereon.

7. A safety lock in accordance with claim 6, wherein said rod has acylindrical portion located Within said case and a slotted portionmounted upon said cylindrical portion, said key plate having a tonguefitting into the slot of said slotted portion, said dial having ahelicoidal end portion, a pin carried by said rod and engaging saidhelicoidal end portion, and a spring located within the cylindricalportion of said rod and pressing it against said dial.

8. A safety lock in accordance with claim 6, wherein each of thefirst-mentioned cams comprises two teeth adapted to be engaged by saidcatches, each of said electric alarm devices comprising a metal bandengaged by one of the first-mentioned cams, an electrical contactcarried by said band and another electrical contact adapted to beengaged by the first-mentioned contact.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 4/1935 Atherton200-45 5/1941 Howton 200--6l.67 X

1. A SAFETY LOCK, COMPRISING A CASE, A BOLT SLIDABLE IN SAID CASE, AMOVABLE MUSHROOM-SHAPED DIAL HAVING A STEM PORTION EXTENDING INTO SAIDCASE AND AN OUTER INDICIA-CARRYING PORTION, A KEY PLATE ENCLOSED BY SAIDOUTER PORTION, A KNIFE LEVER HAVING A BENT PORTION EXTENDING ADJACENTSAID BOLT AND ADAPTED TO ENGAGE SAID BOLT, A PLURALITY OF CAMS, THENUMBER OF SAID CAMS CORRESPONDING TO THAT OF SAID INDICIA, ELECTRICSWITCHES ACTUATED BY SAID CAMS, AND MEANS CONNECTED WITH SAID KEY PLATEFOR ACTUATING SAID KNIFE LEVER AND FOR ACTUATING SAID CAMS.